Kristen O'Rourke, who won three CAA Championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances while playing for James Madison, joined the Yale field hockey staff as an assistant coach in March of 2018. O'Rourke brought eight years of coaching experience -- including roles with USA Field Hockey -- to Yale. In her first season with the Bulldogs, she helped the team post its best overall record since 2011 and its best Ivy League record since 2013. She worked with sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Terroso, helping her earn second team All-Ivy League honors.

A former goalkeeper, O'Rourke's collegiate coaching experience includes a stint as the goalkeeping specialist for Davidson from 2014 to 2016, where she helped the Wildcats' goalie rank in the top 10 nationally for save percentage in 2014.

Prior to that O'Rourke served as an assistant coach and goalkeeping specialist at Richmond from 2010 to 2014, helping Richmond's goalies lead the nation in save percentage in 2011 and 2013. She developed a first team All-American in 2013 and helped Richmond's defense rank first nationally in goals-against average that year. O'Rourke also co-directed Richmond's field hockey camps and ran/directed the annual spring tournament.

O'Rourke has been the director of Next Level by KO since 2013, operating clinics and play days while also providing consulting services. She worked with Texas Pride Field Hockey in 2016-17, helping two goalies get selected for Junior National Camp. She also worked with East Coast Field Hockey Club in 2014-15.

O'Rourke has been involved with USA Field Hockey on multiple levels, including serving as a National Futures Championship coach and selector. She has also been a Region 8B Futures site director/head coach, a goalkeeping coach and a selector in several regions.

In 2010 O'Rourke received her B.S. in kinesiology from JMU, with a concentration in sports management and a minor in business. She earned JMU Athletic Director Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior. She is a native of Williamsburg, Va., and attended Jamestown High School.